CFB MVP
The wife of Texas A&M kicker Seth Small won the college football weekend with this epic celebration
College football fans, particularly the diehards of the SEC, can sometimes forget that the players are humans. This is especially true for kickers, who are expected to do their job and are only remembered when they don't do it, which is usually on the biggest stage - the end of the game.
Miss the game-winning field goal, or the game-tying one, and your last name becomes a punchline. Make it, and you might have a rather brief 15 seconds of fame.
However, there are unique situations—like being tied 38-38 with No. 1 Alabama—where a converted kick makes you a school legend. Enter Seth Small, the Texas A&M kicker who had a chance to take down the Crimson Tide at Kyle Field on Saturday night. From just 28 yards out, Small did just that, giving the Aggies a much-needed 41-38 victory and helping head coach Jimbo Fisher become the first former Nick Saban assistant coach to ever beat Nick Saban. Hero ball of the highest order:
During this sea of madness, CBS cameras attempted to lock in on Saban and Fisher, eventually catching their postgame handshake. In another corner of the stadium, though, the best shot of the night was captured by Texas A&M photographer/videographer Cam Worthy, who zeroed in on Small's family in the front row as they watched him bang home the game-winner. Small's wife, Rachel, stole the show, displaying some serious ride-or-die energy and easily earning our college football star of the week title. Sorry, Seth, your 15 seconds is up already:
How good was that? This was, unfortunately for Small's family, life-or-death, edge-of-your-seat stuff. If that ball hooks to the left, Small becomes the No. 1 target for nameless, faceless idiots on the internet to lob all kinds of insults his way, and possibly uglier things like death threats. It's no wonder all six of the people in this shot look like they are going to have a heart attack. And how about Rachel just hopping the wall without hesitation? That's love right there, folks.
Following the game, Small said he'd rate the kick the third-best moment in his life, right behind accepting Jesus and marrying his wife. Smart man. An interesting twist of fate, too, was that he made a similar game-winner a year ago also on Jimbo Fisher's birthday, also with the score 38-38 and also as time expired. Eerie:
College football, man.
Helmet Stickers
(In this section, we'll dole out helmet stickers for those who just missed the cut on "star of the week.")
Golf glove guy at the Red River Shootout
It's not fair to anyone involved in Saturday's Oklahoma-Texas game to just single out one coach, player, play, fan, fox on the field, etc., as THE moment in the game. It was a game chock full of moments, big plays, hilarious screenshots and more. Somehow, the Red River Rivalry outdoes itself every damn year. It's truly in the running for the No. 1 event the sport has to offer, both on TV and in person (so I'm told). Having said all of that, though, golf glove guy was the MVP:
So many questions, so few answers. Was he leaving the game to play in the afternoon? Did he come from the course? Is he in this exact outfit at all times just in case somebody needs a fourth? Does he wear a glove to keep his hand warm while crushing beers? Honestly, we'll never know, and we'll gladly let the mystery be. Five helmet stickers to golf glove guy.
The girl who got truck sticked by Saban's police escort
You don't truly make it as a college football coach until A. you have the power to get a video scrubbed from the internet (COUGH COUGH), or B. you have four cops escort you off the field after a big win or big loss. Saban experienced the latter on Saturday night in College Station, with four policemen getting him the hell off the field and running over everyone in their way. Watch closely at the 43-second mark when a cop just absolutely truck-sticks a poor girl just trying to rush the field with everybody else:
Took it like a CHAMP. Hand down, man down, Jeff Van Gundy. Hopefully she got her phone back, because it definitely went flying on impact and you can see her crawling for it like Simba looking for Mufasa in the gorge. Four helmet stickers for this young lady.
This guy
Honestly, not a clue who he is but saw him circulating on Twitter during Michigan's wild 32-29 win at Nebraska on Saturday night. That is one FULL head of gray hair. A quick look at the Nebraska dot com team page shows this is assistant quarterbacks coach Mario Verduzo, which is the exact name I clicked when I first got to the coaches roster to see his picture. Ding ding. Of course this guy's name is Mario. Three helmet stickers for that thicccc mane.
The play of the weekend
Texas-Oklahoma had absolutely nothing on this reverse throwback scramble dive fumble 99-yard scoop and score play from South Dakota State vs. Southern Illinois:
WILD. Even wilder? The Jackrabbits somehow went on to lose this game, 42-41. Two helmet stickers anyway, but that's a crushing blow.
Jim Harbaugh
All is well in Ann Arbor right now, as evidenced not only by the Wolverines' 6-0 start but by the fact Jim Harbaugh is acting like Jim Harbaugh again, which is to say he's still a huge a-hole:
Probably for the best. No one wanted to hear a couple boring football coach cliches anyway. Zero helmet stickers.